Zoom's shocking share plunge is latest indication that we're racing towards normality

Zoom's share price fell by more than 11% in after-hours trading despite the video conferencing behemoth beating Wall Street's predictions on revenue and EPS (earnings per share).

What appeared to have triggered the Zoom sell off was the guidance for the third quarter for earnings per share (between $1.07 and $1.08, compared to $1.09 based on an analyst consensus poll) and just 15% growth for the fiscal fourth quarter.

The company, which became the poster child for the work-from-home pandemic era, saw its market capitalization shoot up by nearly nine times in 2020. At its peak, its stock hit $559 -but it's  now worth just under $350.

Now, nearly two years after the pandemic began, sales have hit a buffer with the company acknowledging that its core business is decelerating, which in turn, has caused Zoom to look for growth elsewhere.

It has already started its transformation from being a product into a platform with the $14.7 billion acquisition of Five9, a major call-centre-as-a-software player, and significant investment in building its own apps environment, Zoom Apps.

The Teams factor

Zoom is also facing the same foe as Slack, Microsoft Teams. The text-based collaboration tool was ultimately acquired by Salesforce before it could fully transition to a platform. Zoom, given its size, may have a harder time finding a potential suitor as hybrid working becomes the de facto working agreement for agile workforces.

Teams remains Zoom biggest threat as the company hasn't been able to attract as many organizations with more than 10-paid seats as analysts had expected. Why? Well, maybe because Microsoft has been assiduously pushing Microsoft 365, which includes Teams, for as little as $8 per month per user. Zoom costs almost twice the price and doesn't come with Office 365 apps or OneDrive.

Bundling is ultimately how smaller outfits like Zoho and Freshworks will manage to thrive.



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You can hack macOS 12 Monterey to get its biggest missing feature

At WWDC, macOS 12 Monterey was announced by Apple for its Mac computers, touting Live Text, Shortcuts, and a redesigned Safari browser.

However, one big feature showcased was Universal Control, which allows anyone with a Mac and iPad to drag and drop files seamlessly between the devices, with the iPad acting as a second screen.

But it’s been unavailable since its announcement, with it not appearing in the subsequent public beta releases, and that has led some users to wonder if it will even arrive in macOS 12 Monterey.

However, thanks to some savvy users, a method of enabling the feature has been discovered in the latest public beta, allowing you to give this cool feature a whirl.

How to enable Universal Control

You need to be part of the beta program where you can download and install the latest versions of macOS 12 Monterey first. Once this has been installed on your Mac, download this file from GitHub, and drop it into Library > Preferences > FeatureFlags > Domain.

But if the Library folder isn’t showing in your Finder window, go to your username and at the menu bar, select the ‘Go’ menu and ‘View Options’. There will be an option to display the Library folder.

Library option in View Options within macOS

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Once you’ve restarted your Mac, you should be able to activate the feature in System Preferences > Display, as long as Bluetooth is enabled on both devices and are also connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

This works with Beta 5 of macOS 12 Monterey and above, so as long as you have an iPad running iPadOS 15 or another Mac running the public beta, you can drag and drop files between devices as you wish.

It looks as though Apple only recently implemented the required files for the feature to work in Monterey, which is why this file can enable it.

Analysis: Could Universal Control get the chop?

We’re heading into the final stretch for the development of the new operating system update, with Apple releasing the latest public betas for macOS 12 Monterey (as well as betas for iOS 15 and iPadOS 15), so it’s usually around now where we start to see some features be held back for a future release, as we’ve already seen with SharePlay.

But while a file is required to enable Universal Control, SharePlay could be used on previous beta versions without the need for extra effort. However, SharePlay is now missing in action.

While macOS 12 Monterey brings other substantial updates such as Shortcuts, a new Safari, the ability to AirPlay your iOS device to a Mac and more, Universal Control was given significant airtime at the WWDC conference as a standout feature.

To delay it for a future update may make the announcements in the keynote even more irrelevant, especially with Safari’s design reverting back to iOS 14 than what was originally showcased.

However, when we tried out Universal Control with an M1 Mac mini and a 2018 iPad Pro thanks to the file from GitHub, we experienced no issues. The mouse seamlessly went to the iPad and back, while dragging and dropping an audio file from the Files app into iMovie on the Mac worked as you expected.

It would be surprising to see Universal Control also disappear for the foreseeable as well, but with rumors of new Macs on the horizon, it could be a great feature to showcase what these Macs can do, combined with iPadOS 15.

Via wccftech



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Tata Tigor EV With Up to 306 km Range Launched in India Starting Rs. 11.99 Lakhs

Tata Tigor EV has been launched in India. The electric vehicle (EV) is touted to be the cheapest EV in the country. It is available in the three trims — XE, XM, and XZ+ — with a dual-tone colour option only available on the highest trim. It comes with a 26kWh liquid-cooled battery that produces 55kW of peak power and 170Nm of torque. Tigor EV has a claimed range o...

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LG UltraGear Gaming Speaker GP9 With Hi-Res Audio, Hi-Fi Quad DAC Launched

LG UltraGear Gaming Speaker GP9 has been unveiled expanding LG’s UltraGear line of gaming hardware. The speaker has a unique look to it paired with RGB lighting. LG says it offers three-dimensional, game-optimised sound, easy controls, and seamless compatibility with both PCs and the latest consoles.

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Google Pixel 5a Overheating and Touchscreen Issues Surface, Company Working on a Fix

Pixel 5a users are reporting of overheating and touchscreen issues. Some users claim that the overheating warning comes in when shooting in 4K video, while others say it gets triggered even when shooting 1080p clips. ‘Weird’ touchscreen issues have also been reported affecting the bottom half of the display.

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Final testing of the James Webb space telescope is complete, it is getting ready for its 31 October launch

After completing its final testing, the James Webb Space Telescope is being prepared for transportation to its launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch is slated to take place on 31 October this year.

NASA stated that since there is no more large-scale testing that needs to be conducted, Webb’s cleanroom technicians will work towards ensuring its reaches its launch pad safely. This is a drastic shift from their previous focus — demonstrating Webb can survive the harsh conditions of launch and work in orbit.

Fully assembled and fully tested, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has completed its primary testing regimen and is soon preparing for shipment to its launch site at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. On this photo, Webb is folded as it will be for launch. Image credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

The space observatory will travel through the Panama Canal to French Guiana which is on the northeastern coast of South America. It will then have a ‘dress rehearsal’ before it rolls out to the launch pad two days before launch. The telescope will be launched into space aboard the Ariana 5, one of the most reliable launch vehicles presently available.

The telescope is a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NA

ESA states that Webb is a ‘Flagship’ mission which is a generational project. It was built on the legacy and the lessons that scientists learnt from its predecessors like Hubble.

Webb launch timeline at Europe’s Spaceport. image credit: ESA

As the Webb telescope is being transported, the machine’s Mission Operations Center (MOC) at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) will continue testing its complex communication network. The telescope will undergo further prelaunch testing.

After a 26-minute ride aboard the launch vehicle, the Webb spacecraft will detach from it and automatically deploy its solar array. Webb will have an 'action-packed six months' commissioning period. According to Space.com, at 13.2 meters long and 4.2 m wide, the telescope is about the size of a large tractor-trailer truck. It is fitted with intricate sun shades that could cover a tennis court once unfolded. It will deploy its sun shields a few days after its launch with the instruments and telescope starting to cool down. The craft will take approximately one month to reach its destination.

Webb unfolding sequence. image credit: ESA

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The telescope will observe the universe from the vantage point of Lagrangian Point 2 (L2), located some 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth. The L2 point is one of the five points around the Earth and Sun, where the gravitational forces of both celestial bodies are in balance. This will enable the spacecraft to maintain a stable position with respect to Earth.

Bill Ochs, Webb project manager for NASA Goddard, remarked that he couldn’t help but see “the reflections of the thousands of individuals who have dedicated so much of their lives to Webb, every time I look at that beautiful gold mirror.”



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Best phones under Rs 40,000 (Aug-Sept 2021): Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro 5G, Vivo X60 to OnePlus 9R

The competition for places in the sub-Rs 40,000 segment in India is a bit too stiff at present. Choosing just five handsets in this crowded segment proved to be near impossible. Hence, we have chosen not five, but eight smartphones for you this month. There’s a full spread on offer, starting with a couple of handsets with Snapdragon 888 SoC, ample RAM and storage, one with 108MP camera, and high refresh rate AMOLED screens is a given. So, let’s see which phones made the cut this month.

Best phones to buy under Rs 40,000 in India

Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro 5G

Xiaomi’s Mi 11X Pro 5G flaunts a handful of features you’d expect from a genuine flagship device, starting with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 SoC. You get 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage to go with it. You also get a 108 MP camera at the back to capture some impressive shots in different modes and lighting. It is accompanied by an 8 MP ultra-wide shooter and a 5 MP macro camera, and there’s also a 20 MP front camera for selfies and video calls.

Image: Tech2/Nachiket Mhatre

The display here is equally impressive. You get a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ compliance and a theoretical brightness of 1,300 nits. The display and the phone’s glass back are protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The bundled 33 W fast charger promises to charge the phone fully in under an hour. The Mi 11X Pro runs Android 11 with MIUI 12 on top.

Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro 5G price in India: Rs 39,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage

OnePlus 9R/8T

Again, both the OnePlus twins make it to our list. I call them twins because the OnePlus 8T and 9R are almost identical, barring a couple of minor differences. You get their 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variants in this budget, with the 8T selling for Rs 1,000 less. Both phones have 6.55-inch Full HD+ Fluid AMOLED displays with a 120 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ compliance. There’s a 16 MP selfie camera located in a tiny punch-hole at the top. The metal frame and glass body protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 gives both phones an elegant look.

Image: Tech2/Ameya Dalvi

You get quad cameras at the back with a combination of a 48 MP primary camera with OIS, a 16 MP ultrawide shooter, 5 MP macro camera and a 2 MP mono camera. The cameras manage to capture crisp images in different lighting and modes. The main camera can be smartly used to capture some high-quality zoom shots, too. Both phones are 5G-compliant, and while the OnePlus 8T is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 chip, the 9R has a slightly faster Snapdragon 870 SoC. Their 4,500 mAh batteries keep the phones powered for over 30 hours of moderate use, and the bundled 65 W Warp charger juices them up in just about 40 minutes. Both phones run OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 out of the box.

OnePlus 9R price in India: Rs 39,999 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage
OnePlus 8T price in India: Rs 38,999 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Vivo X60

Probably the most stylish phone here, the Vivo X60 is just 7.4 mm thick. And there’s more to it than its good looks. Let’s start with the rear cameras that boast of Zeiss optics and click some excellent shots and videos. The 48 MP primary camera, 13 MP ultra-wide camera and 13 MP telephoto camera for 2X optical zoom do a commendable job across various modes. The 32 MP front camera is good enough to impress selfie enthusiasts.

Vivo X60 Pro. Image: Tech2/Jaison Lewis

Next, the vibrant 6.56-inch Full HD+, HDR10+ compliant AMOLED screen with its 120 Hz refresh rate is simply excellent. It is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 6. Just like the OnePlus 9R, this phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, and you get either 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage or 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of storage in this budget, following a recent price drop. Despite its slim body, you get a 4,300 mAh battery that lasts for over a day of moderate use, and a 33 W fast charger is present in the bundle. The phone runs Android 11 with FunTouch 11 UI.

Vivo X60 price in India: Rs 34,990 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage; Rs 39,990 for 12 GB RAM/256 GB storage

iQOO 7 5G/iQOO 7 Legend 5G

Two phones from Vivo’s iQOO sub-brand retain their spots on this list. The iQOO 7 5G is also powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chip, and you have two variants to choose from with either 8 GB or 12 GB RAM with 256 GB internal storage. Yes, there is an 8GB/128GB variant available, but don’t bother with it if you have a budget of Rs 35,000 to 40,000. Its 6.62-inch HDR10+ compliant Full HD+ AMOLED display has a 120 Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling in compatible apps.

iQoo 7

The 48 MP primary camera has OIS and is accompanied by a 13 MP ultra-wide camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. The 13 MP telephoto camera present in the iQOO 3 has been given a skip, but the addition of features here far outweighs that loss. Its attractive price tag makes the iQOO 7 5G a compelling choice in this budget. The phone runs Android 11 with FunTouch OS 11.

If you need more processing power and a few extra features, you can also get the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant of the iQOO 7 Legend in this budget. It has a more powerful Snapdragon 888 SoC and comes with a 13 MP telephoto camera for 2X optical zoom. However, you will need to shell out Rs 8,000 extra over the iQOO 7 with similar storage.

iQOO 7 5G price in India: Rs 33,990 for 8 GB RAM/256 GB storage; Rs 35,990 for 12 GB RAM/256 GB storage

iQOO 7 Legend 5G price in India: Rs 39,990 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Asus ROG Phone 3

Hello gamers! The Asus ROG Phone 3 is now available for less than Rs 40,000. This phone is powered by Qualcomm’s previous flagship Snapdragon 865+ and is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. The ROG Phone 3 has a 6.6-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen with a 144 Hz refresh rate and a 270 Hz touch sampling rate. It also supports true 10-bit colour gamut with HDR10+ compliance and a rated maximum brightness of 650 nits. The phone runs Android 10 with ROG UI. The Android 11 update has just started rolling out.

Image: Tech2/Anirudh Regidi

The 5G-compliant ROG Phone 3 boasts of a large 6,000 mAh battery for long gaming sessions. The bundled 30 W fast charger with QuickCharge 4.0 support enables brisk refuelling. The phone also has a pair of stereo speakers with dedicated amplifiers along with a bunch of gaming features and optimisations. The camera department is more than capable with a 64 MP primary camera, 13 MP ultra-wide camera and a 5 MP macro camera, all of which capture some impressive shots and record videos in up to 8K resolution.

Asus ROG Phone 3 price in India: Rs 39,999 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Apple iPhone SE (2020)

The mid variant of the Apple iPhone SE (2020) with 128 GB storage is available in this budget, and for a couple of thousand rupees less this quarter. The 2020-edition Apple iPhone SE is more of an iPhone 8 successor with a much more powerful processor. It is powered by Apple's previous flagship A13 Bionic chip that you get with all iPhone 11 series phones. This phone is a good option for those who prefer the older iPhone design with more recent hardware.

Image: tech2/Nandini Yadav

It has a 4.7-inch Retina LCD display with 326 PPI pixel density that’s typical of most iPhones. You get the ever-reliable 12 MP camera with OIS at the back, and a 7 MP selfie camera. This IP67 rated dust- and water-resistant iPhone runs iOS 13, and is upgradeable to iOS 14. If you wish to try your hand at the iOS platform without breaking the bank, the Apple iPhone SE is a good option.

Apple iPhone SE (2020) price in India: Rs 34,999 for 128 GB storage



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Microsoft Outlook will soon re-write your emails for you

Microsoft is releasing a new feature for Outlook on the web that can scan what you've written and offer rewritten suggestions that can improve the tone of your emails. 

As reported by Onmsft, 'Tone Detection', is part of Microsoft Editor and emulates other online editors such as Grammarly, giving you real-time advice on how to better word your communications, as well as punctuation conventions, sensitive geopolitical references and general formality.

The Tone Detection feature is currently in development, the Microsoft 365 Road Map listing a public release of September 2021.

If you're looking forward to giving Tone Detection a try then it's worth noting that the feature will be disabled by default for all users, so you'll need to head into the Microsoft Editor Settings menu to enable it. Once the feature is officially released in September, the Outlook web app will add a tone detector feature to its Microsoft Editor’s browser extension.


Analysis: The future of real-time editing

Happy woman sitting on a bed with a coffee and a laptop

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Yuganov Konstantin)

Online writing assistants have been around for a long time in various forms, with spell-checking features being built into mainframe computers since the late 1970's. Almost every device we now use for typing includes predictive text too, which can help speed up the process of writing messages and emails.

It's likely we will see features like Tone Detection being built into browsers and applications going forward given how useful they are in aiding effective communication both inside and outside of the workplace. In situations where a language barrier is present, translation software alone isn't always enough to create an understandable transcript, but developing real-time editing software could result in conversationally accurate translations within the next few years.

Outside of cross-language communication, voice intonation and body language contribute to the tone of a vocal conversation in a way that's difficult to replicate over text. There is a distinction noted between the way that men and women send a professional email that suggests women are more likely to use friendly, expressive language for example.

While the Tone Detection software is more likely to tell you if you've made a grammatical error, or if your message could be misinterpreted, It'll be interesting to see how the AI for editing features makes suggestions for professional language, and if the typically expressive, permissive language used by western women will be seen less favorably to that of 'to the point' messages.



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Fujitsu customer data is reportedly being sold on the dark web

Japanese tech giant Fujitsu has reportedly confirmed that the stolen data being sold on the dark web relates to its customers, even as it appears to downplay the incident.

ZDNet reports that the data has been posted by the Marketo group, which breaks into corporate networks much like a ransomware operator, but only exfiltrates the data without encrypting the systems.

Marketo claims it has over 4GB of confidential Fujitsu data, such as customer information, company data, budget data, reports and other company documents including information on projects.

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"We are aware that information has been uploaded to dark web auction site 'Marketo' that purports to have been obtained from our site. Details of the source of this information, including whether it comes from our systems or environment, are unknown," a Fujitsu spokesperson told ZDNet.  

New campaign

The Fujitsu spokesperson said that there was no indication that the data being sold by Marketo had anything to do with the ProjectWEB compromise earlier this year. 

Back in May, in a campaign similar to a supply-chain attack, hackers gained access to Fujitsu's project management platform, called ProjectWEB to leak data from various Japanese government offices.

One of the organizations whose data was leaked was the Japanese government’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC), which has performed the cybersecurity drill for the Olympics organizers and later confirmed that its data was exposed in the Fujitsu attack.

“I assume that you may recall the last event of ProjectWEB in May, but there is no indication that this includes information leaked from ProjectWEB, and we believe that this matter is unrelated,” Fujitsu told ZDNet.

Marketo initially claimed that the data it has posted attracted 280 bids, though reports claim it currently only lists 70 bids. 

Via ZDNet



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Sony's PS Plus lineup for September 2021 may have leaked early

It looks as if the PS Plus games for September 2021 might have leaked ahead of the full announcement, and now we can’t wait for tomorrow to come any quicker. If the leak is to be believed, subscribers will be able to add three new free games to their library: Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Hitman 2, and Predator: Hunting Grounds.

According to a post on Dealabs, Overcooked! All You Can Eat will be September’s PS5 game, while Hitman 2 and Predator: Hunting Grounds will be available to PS4 owners (with PS5 players able to play them on their console thanks to backward compatibility). We should take all rumors with a pinch of salt, of course, but the user who shared the leaks is verified on Dealabs, indicating that their information might be worth listening to.

Every month PS Plus subscribers are able to add free games to their PlayStation library, with those games theirs to keep forever even after the month has ended. However, you will lose access should your subscription expire. Subscriptions start at $9.99 / £6.99 / AU$11.95 per month.

If you want to know more about the games rumored to be headed to PS Plus in September 2021, read on for our breakdown of each one.

Overcooked! All You Can Eat (PS5) 

If you love teaming up with your family or housemates for wild couch co-op games then you won’t be disappointed by Overcooked! All you can eat on PS5. This game is a 4K/60FPS remaster of the first two games, combining every level from the main stories, DLCs, and seven new bonus levels into one package. 

If you’ve never played Overcooked before, the games revolve around you frantically preparing food and fulfilling orders before you run out of time. By working as a team and completing more food requests within the limit you can unlock stars that grant you prizes such as access to later levels.

As the game progresses, levels will introduce new mechanics to test your teamwork skills, including new foods to prepare and kitchens that can seemingly change shape at random.

Hitman 2 (PS4) 

The Hitman trilogy represents some of the best games from the last few years. Hitman 2 gives you the perfect excuse to live out your own superspy fantasies, transporting you to a vast array of levels from a Miami car race track to a remote village in the Colombian rainforest.

In each mission, you’ll be faced with the task of taking out multiple targets, and there’s no one way to go about achieving success. You could opt for a traditional sniper shot from the distance, could get close and personal with piano wire, or you could choose one of many unique options hidden in each level for you to discover (such as feeding a target to a pet hippo).

While playing the first Hitman game won’t be necessary (as Hitman 2 will quickly recap the story so far) you can purchase DLC to add Hitman’s levels and tools into Hitman 2. If you’ve previously played Hitman (2016) on the same console you’ll be able to transfer your progress too, giving you access to all the cool devices you’ve unlocked already.

The same is true of Hitman 3, so if you enjoy your time with Hitman 2 you can again transfer your progress into the new game to seamlessly continue your adventure.

Predator: Hunting Grounds (PS4) 

Fans of the 1987 classic film Predator might find a lot to love with this last game on the list, Predator: Hunting Grounds. Five players will be divided amongst two teams, a group of four who will play as a human fireteam trying to complete a mission and one Predator.

Unfortunately Predator: Hunting Grounds falls into the trap of many asymmetrical shooters, leading to rounds that will feel incredibly weighted in favor of the four-person team - especially if you’re veteran shooter players. However, if you and some buddies are looking for a new online game to try out, this could be one to try out in September if it’s free on PS Plus. 



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Do smart plugs slow down Wi-Fi, and why this shouldn't stop you investing in one

A smart home that automates systems such as your lights, heating and electrical sockets so as you step through the door, your abode is just how you like it, can certainly make life easier. However, you can be forgiven for worrying about the effect all these extra internet-connected devices will have on your Wi-Fi? 

The best smart plugs are one of the easiest and most affordable smart home devices on the market. They connect to your existing electrical outlets, and ensure any device connected to it, whether that’s a coffee maker, lamp, radio, or even a set of hair straighteners, can be controlled from an app on your smartphone, or by Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri.  However, chances are you’ll need to install several in your home, as you’ve probably got an array of devices you want to control remotely. 

If you’re thinking of investing in a set of smart plugs for your home, you might be wondering if they will have an effect on your Wi-Fi network. More specifically, will installing a lot of smart plugs slow down your internet connection?

If you’re certain you want to get your hands on the best smart plugs now, rather than read on to find out if they affect your Wi-Fi, then check out these great deals for some of the best on the market. 

So, do smart plugs slow down your Wi-Fi? 

The short answer is no, unless you have somehow built a smart home with dozens or even hundreds of smart plugs, all working at exactly the same time. In that case, yes, your Wi-Fi network might momentarily slow down while all of the plugs are being controlled.

But that is a highly unusual situation and not one your average smart home user is likely to come across. That said, it is worth understanding why even a large amount of smart plugs is unlikely to slow down your Wi-Fi, at least to a noticeable degree.

This is a topic of bandwidth; how much demand each device in your home places on the Wi-Fi network. Because an internet connection isn’t an unlimited supply of data, some devices will exert a greater demand on Wi-Fi than others. For example, a television streaming 4K, HDR video is going to consume far more data, and put greater strain on your Wi-Fi network, than an Amazon Echo speaker streaming music, or indeed a smart plug following a command to switch on or off.

In fact, most smart home devices consume very little data. Media streaming products like an Apple TV or Google Chromecast are an exception, along with security cameras with their HD or 4K video streams. But devices like smart plugs, smart lights, and smart locks use very little data, to the point where it isn’t even worth measuring.

However, according to Christopher Sterle, founder, and CEO of US home automation company Acoustic Design Systems, if an internet-connected device in your home has an ethernet port then consider using it.

“All wireless devices slow down a home Wi-Fi network in varying levels. It is always best to hardwire a product when a hardwired connection is available,” he said. 

Amazon Smart Plug

(Image credit: Amazon)

 How many devices  is too many?

When it comes to internet-connected devices in your home, just how many is too many? Generally speaking many of today’s routers can provide a Wi-Fi connection to around 250 devices at once. This is likely a huge number for most households, but if you have a large home with Wi-Fi smart lights in every room, complete with switches, sensors, cameras and speakers, you might get close to that total.

That said, the majority of those devices consume a tiny amount of data over Wi-Fi, so we’re back to a case of the 4K televisions and games consoles demanding the most data, not devices like smart plugs.

It is also worth remembering that, while TV-streaming sticks and smart speakers are constantly using the Wi-Fi network as they deliver content, smart plugs only send and receive data when they are in use, such as when a command to switch on or off is sent to a plug.

Wi-Fi is just one type of wireless technology used in smart home devices. Bluetooth is another, but unlike those that connect using Wi-Fi, you’re limited on the number of smart plugs you can install and control at any one time - it varies from manufacturer but it’s usually around 10-15 devices. It’s also worth noting that Bluetooth smart plugs can’t be easily controlled when you’re away from home.

Alternatively some smart plugs use the Zigbee and Z-Wave standards. These are built primarily for smart home devices and work in a similar way to Wi-Fi, in that they transmit data from one device wirelessly to many others, but they use tiny amounts of power.

In the case of Zigbee, a single network driven by a hub, like an Amazon Echo smart speaker, can support over 60,000 nodes, or devices like smart lights, switches and plugs. Z-Wave has a limit of 232 devices, which should still be plenty for most smart home systems.

That said, for the vast majority of smart home builders, smart plugs will not have a noticeable impact on the speed and reliability of your Wi-Fi network.



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Snap up this Instant Pot for its (almost) lowest price

The best Instant Pots can speed up your meal prep while also offering an array of different cooking methods in one appliance, saving space on your kitchen worktop. However, they can be a pricey purchase so a good Instant Pot deal is always welcome.

In the UK, Amazon has slashed 33% off the price of the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1electric pressure cooker reducing it to £59.99 from £89.99. While this isn’t the lowest price we've seen for the Instant Pot, which can also slow-cook and even make yoghurt, it’s almost as low as the prices we saw on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (Not in the UK? Scroll down for the best Instant Pot deals in your region.)  

Today's best  Instant Pot deal in the UK

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1: £89.99 £59.99 at Amazon
Amazon has knocked £30 off the cost of this Instant Pot, which offers 13 different cooking functions. This isn’t the best price we’ve ever seen for this Instant Pot – it has dropped as low as £59.10 before, but at just 89p more expensive, this is still good value, and we don’t know how long it will last – so we suggest that you snap up this Instant Pot deal now.
 

This Instant Pot Duo has a 5.7-litre capacity although it’s also available in an 8-litre version. According to Instant Pot, it offers the functions of seven different appliances in one - as well as pressure cooking, it can also replace a sauté pan, steamer, slow cooker, rice cooker, food warmer, and yogurt maker.

On test, we found the Instant Pot excellent for making tagines, chillies, and curries - they were rich and succulent with just 20 minutes of cooking, something that usually takes hours. We also found it simple to release the pressure by pressing one button, and the appliance created very little steam or noise. 

More Instant Pot deals



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The Galaxy S21 FE will come in two variants, according to the latest leak

It's fair to say that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE hasn't had the easiest route to market, but it should be with us soon. The latest S21 FE leak to catch our attention would appear to confirm that a version with an Exynos 2100 chipset is going to be available.

As spotted by SamMobile, a new benchmark listing on the Geekbench website shows a device with the right model number for the Galaxy S21 FE, the Samsung Exynos 2100 processor, and 8GB of RAM – and the scores are pretty decent too.

Many Samsung phones (including the 4G version of the Galaxy S20 FE) come with Qualcomm Snapdragon processors installed in the US and China, and Exynos processors everywhere else, but there has been some debate about whether the Galaxy S21 FE would follow suit.

Mass production begins?

A separate report from South Korean outlet The Elec (via XDA Developers) claims that the Galaxy S21 FE is due to go into mass production in September, although the article doesn't offer any suggestions about when it might actually be unveiled.

Only yesterday we heard that September 8 could be the day for the big Galaxy S21 FE unveiling. The source on that was one that's usually reliable, although the date seems unlikely if Samsung's suppliers are only just starting to manufacture the handsets.

Other rumors have pointed towards an October launch for the Galaxy S21 FE, which makes a bit more sense considering this new information (if it's accurate, of course). Whenever the phone officially sees the light of day, we'll let you know right away.


Samsung Galaxy S21

The Samsung Galaxy S21. (Image credit: Samsung)

Analysis: a tale of two CPUs

Samsung's tendency to release two different configurations of its mid-range and high-end phones (including the Galaxy S21) can be confusing for consumers – and it can also lead to discrepancies in terms of performance between the Snapdragon models and the Exynos models.

The good news is that the new Geekbench listing shows the Exynos 2100 holding up well against the Snapdragon 888, at least in terms of the processing performance that these benchmark tests measure. With the Galaxy S21, the general consensus has been that the Qualcomm chip is the better performer, so Samsung may have made some tweaks.

The majority of the earlier leaks we've seen have pointed to a top-end Snapdragon 888 chipset running inside the Galaxy S21 FE – but there have also been rumors that the entire Galaxy S21 FE series would switch to the Exynos line, which Samsung develops itself, in order to ease the production pressure caused by the global chip shortage.

Indeed, there has been talk that Samsung could limit the Galaxy S21 FE to certain markets because of these external production pressures. Based on the information we have now, it seems we'll get the two variations as normal (though hopefully without the performance differences), which suggests a wider release.



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Hackers are pulling no punches when it comes to email attacks

Brute force email attacks and account takeover attempts against businesses have increased a whopping 671%, as attackers find novel ways for phishing credentials, according to new data.

In its Q3 2021 email threat report, cloud-native email security platform Abnormal Security revealed a significant increase in attacks that are often used as launchpads for more significant attacks such as ransomware and malware

The report also finds that cybercriminals are conjuring new ways to trick employees into giving away their credentials, invariably resulting in significant financial damages to businesses.

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“Socially-engineered attacks are dramatically rising within enterprises, worldwide, creating unprecedented financial and reputational risks. These never-before-seen attacks are becoming more sophisticated with every passing day,” said Evan Reiser, Abnormal Security CEO.

Growing complexity

The report also found that more than half of the surveyed organization (61%) have experienced a vendor email compromise or a supply chain attack in Q3 2021.

In order to commit vendor email compromise, threat actors first gain access to a vendor’s account, which then enables them to hijack existing conversations for nefarious purposes, such as sending fraudulent invoices.

Impersonation is on the rise as well, with attackers masquerading as well-known brands to trick victims into submitting credentials. Another popular attack vector is to impersonate internal business systems, with the report revealing that fake emails from internal departments like IT Help Desk and IT Support rising 46% over the past two quarters.

Reiser adds that what makes these new breed of email scams dangerous is that they don’t contain the usual indicators of compromise, such as links, attachments and reputational risks. 

“So they evade secure email gateways and other traditional email infrastructure, landing in inboxes where unsuspecting employees fall victim to their schemes, which include ransomware,” suggests Reiser.



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Nintendo Switch Online might actually be worth subscribing to soon

Nintendo Switch Online could receive a massive shot in the arm, as Game Boy and Game Boy Color games are tipped to come to Nintendo’s subscription service in the near future. 

Game Boy and Game Boy Color games were first rumored to be coming to Nintendo Switch Online in 2019, thanks to a datamine that revealed four emulators were hiding inside Nintendo’s NES app. One of the emulators, ‘Hiyoko’, would reportedly enable Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles to run on Nintendo Switch. 

Speaking on the “Nate the Hate” podcast, known insider ‘NateDrake’ believes that Nintendo could add Game Boy and Game Boy Color games to the Switch Online service in the next few weeks. However, it’s unclear how many titles will hit the service initially, or whether they will be drip-fed into Nintendo’s growing retro library much like NES and SNES games are. 

Sources at Nintendo Life have also confirmed that Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles should hit Nintendo’s online service “really soon”, though no specific date was given.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Game Boy Advance games or Nintendo DS will be coming to the service anytime soon. The Wii U offered titles from both handhelds via its Virtual Console service.


Analysis: Nintendo Switch Online needs more 

Nintendo Switch Online

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Even though you need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to play online, Nintendo’s service isn’t very appealing, despite its cheaper price point. For starters, the online infrastructure on Nintendo’s system leaves a lot to be desired: you can’t send messages or use party chat on Nintendo Switch, and games that support voice chat are often handled by the dedicated Nintendo Switch Online app.

Nintendo’s wonderful Virtual Console service, which was one of the best bits about the Wii, still hasn’t been replicated either. Instead, Nintendo has a library of NES and SNES titles available, with questionable additions being added to the service at an agonizingly slow pace. 

In contrast, both PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live are required to play online on PS5 and Xbox Series X, but Sony and Microsoft give away multiple games every month for users to download and keep as long as they’re subscribed. Discounts are also offered on various titles. 

The addition of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games won’t address the problems with the Nintendo Switch Online app, but they will at least provide more value to those who are subscribed to Nintendo’s service. Here’s hoping Nintendo doesn’t take an eternity to add the games people want, though.



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Netflix is bringing a classic horror movie series back from the dead

Netflix has announced it's bringing a new movie in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series to the streaming service. It doesn't offer a release date, but this is a movie that actually already filmed last year – so presumably you won't have to wait too long to see it. 

Netflix acquired the worldwide rights to the movie from Legendary Pictures, meaning you should be able to watch it wherever you are. It's the first in the series since 2017's Leatherface, and stars Elsie K Fisher, Sarah Yarkin and Jacob Latimore – and it has the simple title of Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

What's interesting is that it takes a similar approach to 2018's Halloween movie, which ignored all of the first film's dodgy sequels to present a more credible follow-up. This movie is set in the present day, but "returns to the roots" of the original 1974 movie from director Tobe Hooper, according to Netflix.  

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie was an influential and important horror film, and saw Leatherface – a man wearing human skin remains of his victims as a mask – chasing down his victims with a chainsaw (the title gives it away). Hooper himself made a sequel in 1986, but none of the series' subsequent entries have reached the same critical success as the original, though some reviewers enjoyed 2017's origin story about the Leatherface character. 

David Blue Garcia directs this new version, while Don't Breathe director Fede Álvarez is producing it.

While Netflix hasn't got an official release date for the film right now, hopefully we'll see Texas Chainsaw Massacre land in time for Halloween.


Analysis: Horror is getting into high gear again

2021 is likely to end as a solid year for horror movies. As well as the Fear Street series on Netflix – which wasn't that scary, but proved to be a solid Goosebumps-level fright fest for younger viewers – the follow-up Candyman just hit theaters around the world. 

Earlier this year, we saw the releases of the third movie in The Conjuring series and the flawed Saw revival film Spiral. July also brought us The Forever Purge, as cinemas started reopening after a long dormant period caused by the pandemic.

Saw and The Conjuring director James Wan, meanwhile, will soon roll out the horror movie Malignant – which is designed to take Wan back to his indie horror roots. That's releasing in theaters worldwide, and on HBO Max in the US, on September 10. 

Assuming The Texas Chainsaw Massacre releases this year on Netflix, then, 2021 will end up being a much bigger year for blockbuster-style horror than 2020 was. However, even that year brought us highlights like The Invisible Man, Relic, Possessor, His House and Host – all of which need to be on any horror fan streaming list.



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Apple is launching a classical music streaming app

Apple has bought the classical music streaming app Primephonic and plans to release its own app dedicated to classical music, as well as offering Apple Music subscribers Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content.

According to a press release from the tech giant, classical music fans with Apple music will get "the best features from Primephonic", including the ability to search by composer and repertoire, and more detailed classical music metadata.

Primephonic is now no longer accepting new subscribers, and will officially shut down on September 7. Existing subscribers will get a prorated refund and will be able to use the service for free until then, as well as receiving six months of Apple Music for free, which includes access to Lossless and hi-res audio streams and classical albums in Spatial Audio

an iphone showing music playing on apple music

(Image credit: Apple)

Analysis: Apple Music continues its expansion

Apple is clearly on a mission to make its music streaming service as appealing to the widest spectrum of subscribers as possible. 

The new integration with Primephonic will open Apple Music up to a new demographic of classical music enthusiasts, potentially giving it the edge over its biggest rivals, including Spotify and Tidal

Apple Music has already expanded its catalog by offering Lossless and Spatial Audio at no extra cost to subscribers, democratizing hi-res audio while most other streaming services provide it for a fee – if they provide it at all. 

While Spotify is looking to bring in its own higher quality (but not hi-res) audio tier with Spotify HiFi, it's expected to cost more than a Premium subscription to the service. 

We still think Spotify is the best music streaming service for those that value easy music discovery and well-curated playlists over the very best audio quality – but improved access to classical music streams and the expertise of Primephonic means that even more users could be lured to Apple Music from Spotify. 



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The 10 best detective games on PC

There’s something about the pathos of the hard-boiled detective - stubble as thorny as their wit, a hip-flask for a best friend - that reflects the historical solitude of being a PC gamer. 

While 90s console gamers were squealing with delight at split-screen Mario Kart, we were solving grisly murders as Gabriel Knight or George Stobbart - our faces split by shadows cast by the venetian blinds behind the computer, immersed in a fog of cigarette smoke (or perhaps steam rising up off a takeaway pizza).

But detective games aren’t just a cold case from the 90s. The genre is well represented today, with all kinds of variations from classically styled noir tales to choice-driven adventures and experimental indies where your conclusions drive the story. Here are the best of them.

Screenshot of gabriel knight detective game

(Image credit: Sierra On-Line)

1. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

It’s fitting to start this list with one of the great ancestors of the detective game. Released in 1993, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers threw us into a muggy world of murder, voodoo and mystery in New Orleans. You play the titular character - a southern-drawling author voiced by none other than Tim Curry - who is more intricately connected to the area’s grisly events than he’d like to be.

While some of the puzzles have that frustrating 90s insolvability, the voicework, art, music and story are still wonderful. Yes, Gabriel Knight is a dirtbag in a way that wouldn’t fly in a game made today, but that’s part of his anachronistic charm. The bizarre FMV sequel is worth a look too.

Screenshot of Chicken Police detective game

(Image credit: The Wild Gentlemen)

2. Chicken Police - Paint it RED!

You’re Sonny Featherland, one half of the legendary ‘Chicken Police’ detective duo. Like every great noir tale, it starts with a dame stepping into your office, and duly pulling you into a murder mystery way above your pay-grade. Interesting deduction and questioning mechanics give you a nice bit of agency in this story-focused adventure. 

A cursory look at this game will quickly grab the attention of fans of pulp fiction novellas, Raymond Chandler and anthropomorphic animals. The distinctive aesthetic - high contrast black-and-white with photos of animal heads stuck onto human bodies - combined with its slick script makes for a captivating adventure.

Screenshot of Return of the Obra Dinn detective game

(Image credit: Lucas Pope)

3. Return of the Obra Dinn

A ship long thought lost floats into a port with nothing but a bunch of dried-out corpses onboard. As an insurance investigator, you step aboard to figure out what happened to the entire crew, using a magical timepiece that you hover over bodies to pull you into a vignette showing their moment of death.

Return of the Obra Dinn is quite possibly the best crime-scene investigation game out there, as you freely walk inside dead peoples’ memories to figure out who they were and how exactly they died. As you go about establishing each person’s fate through the stippled aesthetic of an old Macintosh game, you unravel the vessel’s tragic, riveting story.

This death-filled tale comes to life through lovely music and intertitle voicework worthy of a BBC radio play.

Screenshot of Lamplight City detective game

(Image credit: Grundislav Games)

4. Lamplight City

Most detective games implement systems to aid you in your investigations - whether it’s a glowing marker or voiceover line nudging you about where to go next. This beautifully illustrated point-and-click adventure, set in a moody steampunk city, strips away such conveniences and leaves you to carry out investigations your way.

Investigate crime scenes, gather suspects, and even falsely accuse the wrong person - you’re the detective, and your ability alone will dictate the outcomes of the five investigations you embark upon. A genuinely tough test of your sleuth skills.

Screenshot from a detective game

(Image credit: Wadjet Eye Games)

5. The Blackwell series

You are Rosangela Blackwell, a socially-awkward spirit medium who with the help of her wise-cracking ghost guide wanders around beautifully drawn scenes in New York City to help ghosts move onto the afterlife. 

You do this by working out who they are and how they died. You make phone calls, explore the city, ask tough questions, and uncover the story of Rosa’s unique family across this episode-style series.

The series’ creator Dave Gilbert may well be one of the most overlooked writers in videogames. Choice-driven adventure Unavowed is his most popular work, but the five games of the Blackwell series are a better fit if you’re looking for investigation and deduction.

Screenshot from Silicon Dreams

(Image credit: Clockwork Bird)

6. Silicon Dreams

A lot of detective work is done out in the field, but Silicon Dreams is one of the best videogame representations of that other side of detective work: the interrogation.

You’re an android working for an all-powerful android manufacturer, and it’s your job to interrogate your fellow androids suspected of ‘deviancy’, dictating whether they live or *ahem* get ‘decommissioned’. As you question androids, you can track and manipulate their emotions to get more revealing answers. There’s no voice-acting, but the writing is superb, and will give you moral quandaries to rival Rick Deckard’s.

Image from LA Noire detective game on PC

(Image credit: Rockstar)

7. L.A. Noire

Still among the only big-budget games brave enough to slow down the pace and deliver an intriguing detective odyssey. As LAPD detective Cole Phelps, you’re faced with solving a string of crimes that inevitably connect some of the city’s most powerful figures in a sleazy and corrupt 1950s Los Angeles.

One of the unique things introduced here was hyper-detailed facial animation, which you can read to gauge whether someone is lying to you during questioning and interrogations. Along with the next entry on this list, L.A. Noire is one of the most full-blooded detective stories in videogames, even if it feels a little creaky in the way of combat these days.

Screenshot from Disco Elysium game

(Image credit: ZA/UM)

8. Disco Elysium

No game pulls you into the tormented psyche of a self-loathing detective quite like this. As the initially anonymous ‘Detective’, you wake up to a splitting hangover and just about pull yourself together enough to investigate a body hanging from a tree. From here, you can pursue the investigation, or explore the semi-ruined city of Rivachol at your leisure.

The only RPG on this list, Disco Elysium offers untold directions to take your character - whether you want to be a neoliberal evangelist or a tough guy who believes people are more likely to tell you what you want if they have a black eye. With the Final Cut update, the game’s already impressive voice-acting has expanded, and there are some new paths to take your character down, making it a great time to spiral into its sordid and decrepit world.

Image from the Wolf Among Us

(Image credit: Telltale Games)

9. The Wolf Among Us

In a nocturnal world where fairy tales collide with reality in often brutal fashion, you’re the werewolf sheriff of a district in 80s New York called Fabletown, tasked with keeping its colorful denizens safe. 

Like other titles from Telltale Games, this dark and engrossing mystery is less about investigation and more about making big decisions that will alter characters’ fates and the outcome of your story.

The Wolf Among Us is an episodic game about a detective rather than a true detective game, but is still a brilliantly written noir thriller worth experiencing. 

Screenshot from Paradise Killer

(Image credit: Kaizen Game Works)

10. Paradise Killer

Coming up just behind Lamplight City as the most unguided detective game on this list, Paradise Killer sweeps you away to a resort island where you’re called in to investigate a murder. Along the way you uncover myriad other mysteries and a glorious cast of campy characters - one of whom is ultimately the killer.

You freely explore the island in first-person, building up your case and pointing your finger at whoever you like in this most vibrant and psychedelic of whodunits. Things get pretty weird and demonic, so best leave your expectations back on the mainland before heading out to Paradise Island.

  • Welcome to TechRadar’s PC Gaming Week 2021, our celebration of the greatest gaming platform on Earth. Despite the global pandemic and ongoing GPU shortages, PC gaming has never been more vibrant and exciting, and throughout the week we’ll be reflecting this with a selection of in-depth articles, interviews and essential buying guides.


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Every Xiaomi 12 leak brings it further from what made Xiaomi phones great

The Xiaomi 12 is leaking thick and fast - one day we'll hear about a super-high-res camera, the next a report will peg it with a rumored uber-fast Android chipset. It's shaping up to be a really premium Xiaomi phone.

Case in point: a new report from popular leaker Digital Chat Station suggests the phone will have three 50MP rear sensors paired with main, ultra-wide and periscope (for 5x optical zoom) lenses. That compares to the Mi 11's 108MP main, 8MP ultra-wide and 5MP telemacro very favorably, both thanks to the high-res sensors across the board, and the presence of a periscope zoom lens.

That's much more in line with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, which had a 50MP main, 48MP ultra-wide and 48MP 5x zoom periscope lens, so it sounds like the Mi 12 could be a lot like the Mi 11 Ultra.

That Ultra phone cost a princely sum, setting you back £1,199 / AU$1,799 (roughly $1,600) to get it. It would follow, then, that the Xiaomi 12 could have a similar price, or will at least be more expensive than the £749 / AU$1,099 (about $1,040) Mi 11 - specs like this don't come cheap.

Some might find that okay, with the justification 'Xiaomi is a premium phone maker, after all' but the company actually paid its dues doing something much different.

Analysis: away from the mid-range

The Xiaomi Mi 9 in 2019 wasn't the company's first phone in the west, but it was the first to launch in Europe and Asia at roughly the same time, and it really helped to put the company on the map.

The Mi 9 was a solid mid-range Android phone with commendable specs and a low price, and it certainly impressed us. But it wasn't until later that year that the Mi Note 10 came along to really blow us away.

The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 had five rear cameras including a 108MP main snapper, a 2x telephoto camera dedicated to portrait pictures, a 5x zoom camera and more. It really wowed us with its photography power and svelte design, and the super-low price was an added bonus.

These two medium-cost phones were arguably more interesting than anything Xiaomi has come up with since, at least from a consumer perspective (the Mi 11 Ultra's second screen was interesting, but more in a 'why are they doing that' kind of way).

We haven't seen anything similar since though, with the Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 11 lines consisting of premium devices, and with the Mi Note 11 never materializing.

Sure, Xiaomi still makes mid-range phones - its Poco line is fairly popular, and even its top-end devices get lower-price siblings in the form of the T line, with the Xiaomi 11T expected soon.

The difference with these devices, though, is that they're lower-cost responses to pre-existing phones, not brand-new devices with unique specs and designs of their own. So while they're still worthwhile for consumers, they're not as exciting or novel for tech fans.

All these new Xiaomi 12 rumors suggest it'll be a super-premium smartphone, and we look forward to seeing what new tech the company brings. But for phone fans who can't afford top-end devices, or for people who loved Xiaomi's innovative streak, we can't help but wish for a return to the 'flagship features, mid-range price' devices that put the company on the map.



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Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 gets an unusual feature from the Apple Watch

The Apple Watch 6 might have its biggest rivals yet in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, and beyond all of them being high-end smartwatches, they also all have an unusual feature in common.

We’re talking about Walkie-Talkie – a feature that the Apple Watch range has had for a while, and which lets you talk to a friend via the watch, in a walkie-talkie style. Now, you can also get an identically named feature for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 range.

We say you can get it because it doesn’t appear to come pre-installed, but owners can download it from the Google Play Store.

Screenshots showing the Samsung Walkie-Talkie app

(Image credit: Samsung)

It works in a similar way to the Apple Watch implementation too. Once you and at least one other person have the app, you can create a channel on your Galaxy Watch and have instant voice conversations (no calling required) as if you were using a real walkie-talkie.

We’re not sure how many people would actually want to talk to their friends and family via their wrist, but it’s there if you want it, and gives the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 range one more way that it can match the Apple Watch range.


Analysis: limited availability but it could be worse

Samsung’s Walkie-Talkie app only works on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, so owners of older Samsung Galaxy Watch models won’t be able to access it. Beyond that, users also need a Samsung account, though they’re likely to have one of these if they own a Galaxy Watch anyway, and signing up for one isn’t hard.

Still, being limited to two wearables that probably won’t be anywhere near as widespread as the Apple Watch makes what’s already a niche feature even less useful than Apple’s take on it.

That said, it could be worse. As far as we can tell you don’t need a Samsung phone to use Walkie-Talkie, which isn’t something we can say for the likes of the ECG and blood pressure monitor features.

Those are exclusive to Samsung handset owners, but the Walkie-Talkie looks like it should work for owners of any Android phone, especially as it can work independently of the phone (though Samsung suggests that you have your phone connected to the watch the first time you use this feature).

iPhone users will still be out of luck, as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 range isn’t compatible with iOS at all, but then they already have access to the Apple Watch range and its near identical feature.

Via GSMArena



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Telegram Crosses 1 Billion Downloads Globally, With India as the Largest Market: Report

Telegram has hit the milestone of one billion downloads, according to a report citing Sensor Tower. The new achievement has brought Telegram against apps including WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram that have hit the mark of a billion downloads.

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Rechargeable Batteries Now Have Six Times More Capacity, Researchers Build Prototype

Researchers have developed a battery prototype that can store as much as six times the charge of a conventional lithium-ion battery. The discovery was published in the Nature journal.

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SpaceX's Cargo Dragon resupply mission carries NASA tech, robotic arm, avocado, ice cream

SpaceX launched its Cargo Dragon for a resupply mission to the International Space Station on 29 August and it docked at the station the next day, 30 August. The spacecraft was launched on a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.

The craft carried more than 2,170 kg (4,800 pounds) of crew supplies, spacecraft hardware and science experiments. This is SpaceX's 23rd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission.

SpaceX Cargo Dragon launches from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre, Florida. Image credit: Twitter/@NASA

After the Falcon 9 launched, the first-stage booster executed a graceful landing at sea, on SpaceX's drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

Andy Tran of SpaceX stated that the launch was “the 90th successful landing of an orbital class rocket and the very first for our newest drone ship, 'A Shortfall of Gravitas.'"

SpaceX now boasts of three Falcon 9 ships — “Of Course I Still Love You", "Just Read the Instructions" and the newest craft, "A Shortfall of Gravitas." The last one, used for the Dragon launch, is fully autonomous. It is even capable of driving itself out to the recovery zone and wait for returning boosters.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk continued his tradition of naming the booster-recovery vessels in tribute to the late science fiction writer Iain Banks and his Culture series.

After autonomously docking at the ISS, Dragon will remain there for one month. NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough will monitor the arrival of the capsule.

It is also McArthur's 50th birthday and she radioed in after the capsule arrived saying, ”No one’s ever sent me a spaceship for my birthday before. I appreciate it.”

Constantly innovating, the current Dragon model is the third one to be launched this year after SpaceX retired the previous model in 2020. Similar to its predecessor, the new model can hold 20 percent more cargo. It is also better equipped to handle a water landing, which means SpaceX teams will be able to refurbish and inspect it faster, leading to less downtime between flights.

According to SpaceX's Sarah Walker, who leads the Dragon program, at least one more launch is expected to happen this year.

Science experiments carried to ISS

Some of the science experiments that have been to the ISS include retinal diagnostic equipment and MISSE-15 NASA to test and observe how different materials respond to space.

The Girl Scouts are sending up ants, brine shrimp and plants as test subjects, while University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists are flying up seeds from mouse-ear cress, a small flowering weed used in genetic research. Samples of concrete, solar cells and other materials also will be subjected to weightlessness.

To celebrate McArthur's birthday, the capsule has lemons, cherry tomatoes, avocados and ice cream for her and the rest of the crew.

A Japanese start-up company’s experimental robotic arm will attempt to screw items together in its orbital debut and perform other mundane chores normally done by astronauts. The first tests will be done inside the space station.

Toyotaka Kozuki, Chief technology officer said, 'Future models of Gitai Inc.’s robot will venture out into the vacuum of space to practice satellite and other repair jobs. As early as 2025, a squad of these arms could help build lunar bases and mine the moon for precious resources.'

With inputs from The Associated Press 



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